one angry white girl.

“Okay, class!” Mr. Grover clapped his hands together and slowly the class quieted. “We got big things to do today?”

“As big as your arse?” Some kid snickered and Mr. Grover glanced around the room trying to determine from where the comment had come from before turning back to face everyone. “As I was saying, we have a lot to do. Finals are tomorrow! So all of you need to work, work, work! I'll be handing out study guides that I expect to be completed and turned in by tomorrow.”

The whole class groaned. Mr. Grover opened his mouth to say something else but a hiss and crackle made him pause. “Good morning cougars!” Crackled a voice coming from the speaker in the corner. “Only one more week left of school! I'm sure all of you are going to do your very best.” She stopped and almost everyone in the class rolled their eyes. “Remember library books are due by this Friday. The class that turns in the most books will get dutch bros! And just one last reminder this week is pride week so don't forget to show some school spirit! Now, for the pledge of allegiance.” There was some rustling and other odd noises as the vice principal tried to turn on the recording.

I looked over at Ivanna and nodded. She nodded and gave me a wink. The speaker crackles back to life. “I pledge allegiance..” 

“Everyone up!” Mr.Grover called.

I looked at Ivanna to see if she had followed through. And there she was still sitting down. I smiled. Everyone around me rose to their feet, hands over their chest as they began to chant.

“Girls! Up!” Mr. Grover pointed to Ivanna and I.

We shook our heads. “Girls!” We still didn't move. “I'll deal with you later.” he sighed.

The rest of the class finished the pledge and then sat back down.

“Now.” Mr. Grover turned to look at us. “Would either of you care to explain why you didn't not follow the rest of the class?” Mr. Grover looked at Ivanna, Ivanna turned to look at me so Mr. Grover's gaze turned to me. Perfect.

“Ava, why did you not stand up?”

“Well because I didn't feel like it.”

“That simply isn't-” I cut him off.

“I have a question for you, why do we even have to do the pledge of allegiance in the first place?” I put my hands on my hips.

“Well… uh it's to show.. that we are.. True to America.” He stuttered.

“Okay.. well what if some of us are not from America and therefore do not wish to pledge our allegiance to a country we do not wish to serve.” I looked over at Ivanna and winked.

“Well.. there in America now. So.” Mr.Grover seemed at a loss for words.

“Why do we do this if no one can even think of an explanation of why we're doing it?” I asked.

Mr. Grover sighed. “Ava we are doing it to show our allegiance.”

“Well if we don't want to show our allegiance that means we don't have to do it right? This is only for people who want to show their allegiance right?” I asked.

“If you live in America you're expected to show your allegiance.”

“Well not every school does this so obviously it's not that important is it?”

“We're not talking about other schools, we're talking about Lakeridge high school and this is part of the curriculum and if you're enrolled in Lakeridge you're expected to follow the rules.”

“Part of the curriculum huh? What are we learning, why do we do this, and what educational purpose does it serve because we all know at Lakeridge ‘education is our highest priority right? So what are we learning?”

“You're learning about how to be an American citizen.”

“So to be an American citizen, every Friday I have to chant words I'll never mean? This is what being an American citizen means?”

“Well, the purpose is you should mean them.”

“But I don't mean them and I should never tell lies, right? Isn't that like one of the golden rules?”

“Yes, Ava it is but the pledge was crafted to show what America is all about.”

“Oh, so America is all about god right? Such bullshit. Because yeah most of America is Christian but what about Muslims and Jews, what about people of Hinduism and Buddhism faith? Are they supposed to say that America is united under God when really God is nothing to them? Or they belive in different gods?  I don't think this pledge of allegiance is that inclusive.”

“Ava, the pledge of allegiance can't incorporate everyone.”

“Oh! So then everyone who doesn't fit the standards should just fuck off, right? Because America doesn't want them, because there not Christian and there not a white male and there not straight. They should jsut fuck off.”

“Language is not appreciated and that is not what the pledge is intended to be at all.”

“Then what is it? Because obviously the pledge isn't honoring everyone and obviously it's focused on people who were born in America and will live in America forever. Truth be told, almost 20% of the American population have immigrated from somewhere else. So what about them? Should they just forget their home country and drop down and pledge to America as soon as they enter?”

“Of course not.” Mr.Grover paused. “It's.. of course, they can remember their hometown….”

“They just have to live and die for this country,  become Christian and throw away everything that makes them who they are.”

Mr.Grover looks frustrated. “I feel we are getting off-topic.”

“Are we? Because all of this seems connected. Everything that's happening around us, discrimination against people of color, asian hate, homophobes, everyone against Muslims and Jews all of this is at the root of the pledge telling us every Friday that Christians are great immigrants are worthless, do we really need to be chanting this.”

“Ava you're exaggerating this to heights it never meant to reach. And I'm sure the pledge has some mistakes but I highly doubt Asian hate and racism stemmed from this pledge.”

“I don't care what they is supposed to mean. And you know what, sure yeah Ill pledge to the flag as soon as it's inclusive. And as soon as it actually means what it says. There's no liberty, there's no justice. Just hate.”

“Ava..”

“Ive made my point. I’m out of here, out of this racist homophobic school so peace out people I'm off to college.”

I stood up and grabbed my stuff and ran down the hallway, a quite abrupt way to start my day. A quite abrupt way to end this chapter of my life.